Joan Frances (Schreck) Brubaker, 81

Joan Frances (Schreck) Brubaker, 81, of Eldora IA, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 18, 2023. A visitation will be held Friday, May 19, 2023, from 4-7 PM at St. Gabriel Church, rural Reinbeck. Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 10:30 AM, also at St. Gabriel, 21275 U Ave., Reinbeck. Memorials may be directed to the family.

Joan was born September 8, 1941, to Lester & Ursula (Mullin) Schreck. She graduated from Dike High School in 1960, and went on to the University of Iowa to become an X-Ray Technician.

In 1957, she met the love of her life, Billy Brubaker and they were married in 1962 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Grundy Center, IA. Bill and Joan were blessed with 4 children: Wanda, Marilyn, Mary Jane and Susan.

Joan worked from 1962-1966 as an X-Ray Tech in the Story County Hospital and worked in the medical field throughout the rest of her career. She opened her own candle and ceramic shop in her home, was a bookkeeper and a stay-at-home mom as well.

Joan and Bill lived in Nevada, Reinbeck, Melrose, New Sharon and Eldora IA, where they have resided for the last 2 years.

Joan enjoyed traveling, motorcycle rides, genealogy, bird watching, collecting marbles, rocks and thimbles. She had a great passion for collecting hats, and loved wearing them wherever she went. She helped found the Green Hat Society in Melrose IA. Her faith was very important to her. She was a member of the Catholic Church in every town that she had lived in, and had traveled to Medjugorje on a group trip in 2001. She enjoyed making rosary beads and jewelry. She especially loved spending time with her kids and grandkids.

She will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Joan is survived by her husband, Billy, with nearly 61 years of marriage, her 4 children: Wanda (Mike) Christensen, of Dike, Marilyn (Ross) Wendell, of Ankeny, Mary Jane (Ryan) Sharp, of Norwalk, and Susan Brubaker, of Grundy Center. She is also survived by her 10 grandchildren: Seth (Bethany) Christensen, Jared (Emily) Christensen, Jacob Wendell, Reece Sharp, Erin (Jack) Leshen, Bailey Sharp, Cody (Dalia) Monaghan, Tayvian, Chloye and Tessya Prime, and 2 great grandchildren, Adrian & Clarke Christensen, and Baby Leshen on the way, as well as her siblings: Paul Schreck, John Schreck, Jane Rhoads.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Lester and Ursula Schreck, her in-laws, Harold and Ruth Brubaker, her grandson, Austin Monaghan, her sister in-laws, Luann Schreck and Mary Jo Schreck, and her brother in-laws, Randy Rhoads, Curtis Brubaker, and Robert Clark.